This invention relates to a multi-ply label, form, or postal card having multiple plies, and more particularly to such a label, form, or card which utilizes a clean release adhesive for securing the plies together.
Shipping labels, package invoices, return postal cards, and the like have found increasing use in recent years as delivery services have proliferated. Currently, multi-part labels and forms are applied to merchandise which is shipped both to residences and commercial locations. Typically, the individual plies of such forms are secured together along one or more edges by a glue or other adhesive. There may be carbon paper positioned between plies for recording information simultaneously on more than one ply. Alternatively, carbonless coatings may be used. Different plies of the forms may be removed and retained by the shipper, delivery agent, and/or recipient. Different plies of the form may act as address labels, invoices, receipts, or return slips.
Shipping labels currently used in the art include both nonvariable preprinted information on each ply and variable information added either by machine or manually to selected plies. Additionally, with increasing use in the field by delivery agents of scanning devices equipped with microprocessors to record information, bar codes and/or other optically readable information must also be printed on such labels. Depending upon the design of the label or form, such information may be contained on more than one layer or ply of the label.
One major problem with currently used collated shipping labels and the like is that after the multi-ply labels or forms are secured to a package, one or more of the plies of the label may become dislodged or separated because of the rough handling of the package during shipment. As the label plies are typically secured only along a single edge, the remaining loose edges on the labels tend to catch and be torn during shipment and handling so that a portion of the label or form may be missing when the package reaches its destination. Some shippers have resorted to placing shipping labels and forms in transparent plastic pouches which are secured to the package. However, this increases the cost per label or form, and also involves additional handling as the form must be stuffed into and removed from the pouch.
Another major problem with current labels and forms is that variable machine-readable information requires printing in multiple passes prior to assembly of the label plies. This requires additional printing steps and may also cause problems in assembling the plies correctly with the information contained on each ply in proper registration with the other plies in the construction.
Another problem with current labels and forms is that when the recipient receives an invoice as a part of such a label or form, the recipient must then supply and correctly address his or her own envelope for payment. It would be desirable to be able to include a preaddressed return envelope with such an invoice to insure that payments by the recipient are correctly returned in the mails.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a multi-ply label or form which can withstand the rough handling which occurs during shipment of a package without tearing or separation of the plies. Further, there remains a need in the art for the capability to print machine-readable information on more than one ply of a multi-ply label or form a single pass. Yet further, there remains a need for a multi-ply form or label which includes a return envelope as part of its construction.